Automobile starting mechanism.



J. F. STOWE.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1917.

1 ,267,605 Patented May 28, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JEJtowe.

J. F. STOWE.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 191?,-

1 ,267,605 Patented May 28, 1918.

3 SH-E'E-TSLS-HEET 3.

\ &:...........= v 3 j: 24 Z6 5 r 6 I/ 49 i O i I TE waft JOHN F. STOWE, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application filed March 29, 1917. Serial N 0. 158,270.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. S'rown, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Starting Mechanism; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to' mechanism for cranking the engines of automobiles and more particularly to that class of starting devices which are manually operated and controlled.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which is automatically self-releasing upon a backfire from the engine.

Another object of my invention is to provide a startingdevice of this character which may be conveniently positioned adjacent the engine and operated-by the driver of a machine without leaving his seat.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of this character in which after the component parts of the starting mechanism have been disengaged upon a back-fire from the engine, they may be automatically returned into position for another operation when desired. 1

With these general objects in view and withother objects which will appear from the description, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, and taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

which form a in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention; I

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing a part of my clutch in engaged position;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2, with the shaft shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view ofthe cam operating arm;

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 3 with the parts out of engagement.

Briefly described, my invention comprises substantially a shaft mounted bepart of this application and -on the base 1.

tween standards .1 provided with a suitable base'and carrying a fly wheel provided with dogs to engage with recesses formed in a sleeve rotatably mounted on the shaft adjacent the fly wheel which sleeve has a sep arable driving connection with the engine. This construction of the dogs mounted on the fly wheel and the sleeve forms a clutch which is normally in engagement and means are provided for automatically disengaging this clutch upon a back-fire from the engine which comprises substantially an annular member rotatably mounted on the sleeve and provided with means to lift the dogs on the fly wheel from engagement with the recesses formed in the sleeve upon a back-fire of the engine. Bolted or otherwise suitably secured to this annular member is a ratchet wheel which is adapted to coact with a suitably disposed spring pressed pawl to hold the annular member stationary upon retrograde movement of the fly wheel upon a back-fire from the engine and thereby hearing the annular member into operation to disengage the dogs from the recesses in the sleeve. As a means of retaining the component parts of the device in their normal position, a spring actuated arm is pivotally mounted on the fly wheel for operative contact with a heart-shaped cam which is bolted to the ratchet wheel carrying the annular member and rotatably mounted on the sleeve.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and describing my invention in detail, the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectangular base member provided with a pair of upright standards 2 in which is received a shaft 3 disposed in bearings formed on the upper ends of the standards. This shaft 3 is provided at one end with a drum 4 rotatably mounted on the shaft and having secured to its periphery a strap or flexible band 5 which is in turn attached to an actuating lever 6 suitably fulcrumed in the standard 7 The actuating lever 6 is adapted to be extended through the dashboard of the automobile and is provided with a suitable foot pedal which, upon being actuated by the operator of the machine, will exert a pull upon the strap or band 5 secured to the drum 4, causing the same to rotate for actuating the shaft 3 aswill be hereinafter described. The drum 4 is provided with a collar 8 to which is secured by one end, a flexible cord or wire 9 having its Iltl other end secured to the base 1 by means of a coil spring 10 which is so disposed as to exert a pull upon the cord 9 in the opposite direction to that exerted by the pull of the lever 6 on the strap or band 5, whereby the drum will be returned to its normal position when pressure upon the actuating lever 6 is relieved. The. drum is provided on its interior; surface with a series of spring pressed pawls 11 which are adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 12 suitably secured or keyed to the shaft 3, whereby when the drum is rotated, the pawls will engage the ratchet wheel and cause the shaft to rotate to impart motion to the crank shaft of the engine in a manner to be hereinafter described.

I have shown and described the specific details of the construction of the means for actuating the shaft 3, but it is obvious that any suitable means may be provided for actuating the shaft 3 other than that l have shown and described and therefore I do not limit myself to the specific construction employed in this preferred embodiment of my invention. Separable driving connection is obtained between the starting device and the engine shaft by means of a slidable gear 13 mounted on a member disposed on the shaft 3 in a manner to be hereinafter fully described and which is provided with a collar i l having connected therewith the usual type of shifting lever 15 which is adapted to be actuated by a connecting lever 16 extended to the dash of the automobile. This gear 13 is adapted to be shifted into engagement with a suitable gear wheel G attached to the crank shaft S of an engine for imparting movement thereto to crank the engine. Any suitable type of separable drivmg connection may be provided and l do not limit myself to the specific details which I have, described and shown, the shifting mechanism employed being merely the preferred form of my invention.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 3 and disposed between the bearings formed on the standards 2 is a sleeve 17 provided at one end with an annular shoulder 18 and in turn rotatably mounted on this sleeve is an annular member 19 disposed adjacent the annular shoulder 18 formed on the end of the sleeve and of the dimension and configuration of the annular shoulder. Both the shoulder 18 and the annular member 19 are provided with longitudinally alined, aroua-tely formed recesses and :21 disposed in the peripheries of these two members spectively. Pivotally mounted dogs 22 disposed on the adjacent face of a fly wheel 23 which is keyed or otherwise secured the adjacent end of the shaft 3 for imparting momentum thereto. These dogs 2:? are provided with laterally enlarged heads which are arcuately formed and normally disposed for engagement in both of eer/ oa alined recesses 20 and 21 formed in the shoulder 18 and member 19 respectively,

sleeve 17 so thatit may be shifted longitudinally thereon and rotated therewith.

Bot-atably mounted on the sleeve 17 and adjacentthe annular member 19 is a heart shaped cam 25 normally disposed with the point of the heart spaced equi-distant between the recesses formed in the periphery of the annular member 19. Rotatably mounted on the sleeve 17 and disposed adjacent the heart-shaped cam 25 and secured thereto by a series of bolts extending therethrough and through the heart-shaped cam to the annular member 19,-is aratchet wheel 26. These three members, comprising the ratchet wheel 26, the heart-shaped cam 25 and the annular member 19, are bolted or otherwise suitably secured together as described for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed.

A suitable spring pressed pawl member 2'? is adapted for engagement with the ratchet wheel 26 and is disposed suitably on the base 1 in a standard 28 mounted thereon. Extending laterally from the fiy wheel is an arm 29 pivotally -mounted thereon and provided with a bifurcated lower end in which is mounted a roller 30 disposed normally in operative contact with the heartshaped cam 25 and seated in the recess formed in this cam and maintained therein and in operative contact with the cam by means of a sprin 31 disposed between the opposite end of t e arm and the fly wheel.

in the operation of my device, the shaft is actuated through the lever 6 and the drum at after the separable driving gear 13 has been brought into mesh with the gear G disposed on the end of the shaft which will impart motion to the shaft of the engine. The

starting lever 6 may be actuated any number of times as desired, each rotation of the shaft causing the same to gain momentum. Owing to the fly wheel secured thereto, it will successfully overcome the resistance of the compression of the cylinders in the engine. Should the engine back-fire while the device is being operated, the means for automatically disengaging the starting device will come into operation in the manner described herein.

iThe fly wheel 23 in connection with the dogs pivotally mounted thereon form one section or member of a clutch for imparting rotation to the sleeve 17 disposed on the shaft The annular shoulder 18 with the recesses 20 provided therein forms a second member of the clutch, and the annular member 19, heart-shaped cam 25 and ratchet wheel 26 in their secured relation form a third member of the clutch, as it is obvious that the head 24 of the dogs 22 cannot be seated in the recesses 20 formed in the annular shoulder 18 of the sleeve until the recesses 21 provided in the annular member 19 are brought into alinement with the recesses in the shoulder'of the sleeve.

Owing to the normal disposition of the dogs 22 in engagement with these recesses, motion of the shaft 3 will be imparted to the sleeve 17 and in turn will rotate the gear 13 which is disposed in mesh with the gear attached to the engine. Upon a back-fire of the engine, the gear 18 will be caused to spin in the opposite direction, thereby rotating the sleeve in the same direction which in turn will transmit this reverse motion to the fly wheel through the medium of the dogs 22 disposed in the recesses. Immediately upon this retrograde movement taking place, the spring pressed pawl 27 arrests the motion of the ratchet wheel 26 which, having the annular member 19 secured thereto, Will cause the same to remain stationary and owing to the arcuately formed construction of the recesses21 disposed in this memher, the dogs 22, owing to the arcuate construction of their heads 24 will ride upwardly on the sides of the recesses 21 and be lifted out of engagement with the recesses in both the shoulder 18 on the sleeve and the annular member 19, thereby disengaging the component clutch members and permltting the sleeve 17 to rotate backward freely on the shaft 3 without any detriment to the parts of the device.

After the energy of the back fire has subsided, the heart-shaped cam is now brought into play. As the fly wheel 23 is continued in motion after the cam 25 has been arrested through the action of the ratchet wheel 26, the roller 30 on the arm 29 will have been lifted out of the recesses in the cam 25 and caused to travel at some distance on the periphery thereon. The pressure exerted on this arm by the spring 31 contracting and tending to force the roller 30 downwardly on the cam 25, will cause this cam to rotate until the roller 30 is again seated in the recesses formed in the periphery of the cam which action will move the annular menber-v 19 around on the sleeve 17 until the recesses 21 in the annular member 19 are brought into alinement with the recesses 20 in the shoulder 18 so that when in the next operation of the device the fly wheel.is rotated, the dogs 22 will be caused to move around on the periphery of the shoulder 18 and it is obvious that when the dogs reach the alinedrecesses 20 and 21 will drop into the recesses for normal engagement therewith, thus locking the clutch members in operative engagement as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

While I have shown and described cermember to be disposed on the shaft and provided with a recess for normal engagement with said dog to form a clutch, and means for liftin said dog from the recess to automatical y disengage the clutch upon a back-fire of the engine.

2. A device of the character described comprising afiy wheel to be disposed on a shaft adapted for starting an engine', a

sleeve to be disposed on the shaft and provided with a recess therein, a dog pivotally mounted on the fly wheel and normally engaged in said recess' to form a clutch, a member rotatably mounted on said sleeve to lift the dog from the recess and disengage the clutch on a back-fire of the engine, means to actuate said member, and separable driving connection between said sleeve and the engine.

3. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a shaft adapted for starting an engine, a fly wheel secured on said shaft, a sleeve surrounding said shaft adjacent the fiy wheel, an annular member on the sleeve adjacent the fly wheel and provided with a recess in its periphery, a dog pivoted on the fiy wheel and normally engaged in the recess to form a clutch, a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a pawl suitably disposed to prevent movement of the ratchet wheel upon a backfire of the engine, a cam secured to the ratchet wheel to lift the dog on the fly wheel from the recess in the sleeve when said ratchet .wheel is arrested by the pawl, and

separable driving connection between said sleeve and the engine.

4. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a fly wheel to be disposed on a shaft adapted for starting an engine, a sleeve to be rotatably disposed on the shaft, an annular shoulder on said sleeve adjacent the fly wheel and provided with a recess in its periphery, an annular member rotatably mounted on-the sleeve adjacent the shoulder and provided with a recess normally in alinement with the recess in said shoulder and similar thereto, a dog pivotally mounted on the fly wheel and normally engaged in said recesses to form a engage the clutch, and separable driving connection between said sleeve and the engine.

5. 1%. device of the character described comprising a clutch member to be disposed on a shaft adapted for starting an engine, a series of clutch members to be disposed on the shaft in normal engagement with the first named clutch member, means on one or" said members to automatically disengage the clutch members upon a back-fire oi the engine, and means to automatically position said clutch members for reengagement.

6. A device of the character described comprising a fly wheel to be disposed on a shart adapted for starting an engine, a

clutch member on the fly wheel, and a clutch member to be disposed on the shaft for normal engagement with the clutch member on the fly wheel, means to automatically disengage the clutch members upon a back-fire of the engine, and means on the fly wheel to automatically return the clutch members to operative engagement,

7. A device of the character described comprising a clutch member to be disposed on a shaft adapted for starting an engine, a series of clutch members to be disposed on the shaft in normal engagement with the first named clutch member, means on one of said members to automatically disengage the clutch members upon a back-fire of the engine, a cam secured to one of the clutch members, and an arm on another of the Y members to operate said cam to return the clutch members into operative engagement.

8. A device of the character described comprising a fly wheel to be disposed on a shaft adapted for starting an engine, a pivotally mounted'dog on said wheel, a clutch member to be disposed on the shaft and provided with a recess for normal engagementwith said dog to form a clutch, means for lifting said dog from the recess to automati cally disengage the clutch upon a back-fire of the engine, a cam secured to said means, and an arm in operative contact with said cam to reengage the clutch.

9. A device of the character described menace clutch, a member rotatably mounted on the sleeve to lift the dog from the recess. and disengage the clutch upon a back-fire of the engine, means to actuate said member, a cam secured to said means and rotatable on the sleeve, an arm on the fly wheel, means to maintain said arm in operative contact with saw cam to dispose the parts of the clutch for reengagement, and separable driving connection between said sleeve and the en- Ill-A device of the character described comprising in combination a fly wheel to be disposed on a shaft adapted for starting an engine, a sleeve to be disposed on the shaft, an annular shoulder on said sleeve adjacent the lily wheel and provided with a recess in its periphery, an annular member rotatably mounted on the sleeve adjacent the shoulder and provided with a recess normally in alinement with the recess in said shoulder and similar thereto, a dog pivotally mounted on the fly wheel and normally engaged in said recesses to form a clutch, means to actuate said annular member to lift the dog from the recesses and disengage the clutch, a cam secured to said annular member, an arm on the fiy wheel, means to maintain said arm in operative contact with the cam to reengage the parts of the clutch, and separable driving connection between said sleeve and the engine.

ll. A device or the character described comprising a series of clutch members disposed in normal engagement on a shaft adapted for starting an engine, one of said clutch members being provided with an arcuate recess, another of said members being provided with a similarly formed normally alined recess, means to prevent retrograde movement of the last named member, a dog pivotally secured on another of said clutch members and normally engaged in said recesses, an arcuate head on the dog to ride on the walls of said recesses and be lifted therefrom on retrograde movement of the clutch member, whereby to disengage the clutch upon a back-lire of the engine.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set com risin in combination a fly wheel to be m hand in the resence or two subscribin 105 a a t 5 disposed on a shaft adapted for startin an witnesses. engine, a sleeve to be disposed on the shaft dQt-lhl r. STUWE. and provided with a recess therein, dog Witnesses.

pivotally mounted on the fly wheel and norl-lnrinn Cn'srscnmss, really engaged in said recess to form Sor 

